CHEYENNE – Spencer Pelton, who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming, has been named the new Wyoming State Archaeologist, the state Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources announced Monday in a news release.
Pelton is a native of eastern Tennessee and moved west in 2009 to pursue a career in archaeology, working in California, Nevada and Colorado before moving to Wyoming in 2013. He has maintained a varied career in government, private and academic sectors, bringing a breadth of experience to the position of Wyoming State Archaeologist.
“I’m honored to have been chosen as a leader in one of the finest communities of archaeologists in the nation,” Pelton said in a prepared statement. “Wyoming’s past should inspire joy and curiosity in its residents, and I look forward to fostering that spirit throughout the state in the years to come.”
Pelton’s research experience is primarily in the early prehistory of the High Plains and Rocky Mountains. He has conducted excavations at several notable Wyoming archaeological sites, including the Powers II red ocher quarry located in the historic Sunrise townsite.
Pelton’s addition to the UW Department of Anthropology contributes educational opportunities in Wyoming prehistory, cultural resource management, archaeological excavation and scientific perspectives in anthropology.
Pelton will live in Laramie with his wife, Hallie, and their dog, Cashew.
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